Author: Patrick J. Kiger
Patrick J. Kiger is a Washington, D.C.–based journalist and author.
Articles by Patrick J. Kiger
- Turning Malls into Neighborhoods
Published on February 27, 2023 in Economy, Market & Trends
From apartment buildings rising in shopping center parking lots to the redevelopment of dead-mall sites as housing, retail-to-residential conversions are an increasing trend. - Emerging Trends 2023: Canada
Published on January 30, 2023 in Capital Markets
For years, Canada has been an attractive place to invest in real estate, thanks to rising rents, valuations, and returns, as well as Canada’s stability and immigration trends. But as in the United States, the Canadian real estate industry was hit hard in 2022 by factors including inflation, resulting in significant disruption. Nevertheless, as in the United States, industry experts say the long-term picture remains positive due to strong fundamental underpinnings. - Creating Space for More “Missing Middle” Housing in the Washington, D.C., Suburbs
Published on December 05, 2022 in Planning & Design
With an increasing shortage of housing across the United States driving up home prices and rents, communities and developers need to adopt a broader strategy. Important part of that approach will be infill development, adaptive use, and changes in zoning regulations to encourage the development of so-called “missing middle” buildings with multiple units that younger couples and families can afford to purchase, according to speakers at a recent housing conference. - How to Make Office-to-Residential Conversions Work
Published on December 01, 2022 in Planning & Design
Turning obsolete office buildings into apartments can be complicated and tricky—but daring developers and ingenious architects are showing a way to help solve housing shortages. - Adding Multifamily Housing Can Revitalize Retail Centers
Published on October 28, 2022 in Development
The same way that urban central business districts are morphing into neighborhoods by adding residential space, older suburban shopping malls and retail centers can get a boost by adding multifamily residential buildings and evolving into mixed-use developments, panelists said at the ULI Fall Meeting in Dallas. - Figuring Out How to Comply with New SEC Climate Disclosure Rule Won’t Be Easy
Published on October 26, 2022 in Sustainability
Real estate companies face a complex task in learning how to comply with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s much-anticipated new rule on climate disclosure, which will require them to report their greenhouse gas emissions as well as their financial risks from climate change, panelists said at ULI’s Fall Meeting in Dallas. - Chamberlin Fellowships Aim to Develop Future Industry Leaders
Published on October 07, 2022 in Inside ULI
Bringing promising graduate students into ULI product councils is part of developer Steve Chamberlin’s grand ambition to boost education at all levels. - Greening Construction: Utility Company and Technology Outfit Partner for Largest U.S. Coal Ash Reuse Project
Published on September 15, 2022 in Sustainability
As Georgia Power transitions from coal to natural gas and renewables to generate electricity, the utility company has entered into an innovative partnership with a technology firm that aims to transform the ash left behind from decades of burning coal into an ingredient for concrete for roads and bridges. - As U.S. Economy Pulls Back, Multifamily Segment Is Feeling Pain but Remains Resilient
Published on September 06, 2022 in Capital Markets
Negative economic growth in the first two quarters of 2022, a volatile stock market, apartment dwellers stressed about inflation, and interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve are enough to make developers and investors in the multifamily segment of commercial real estate feel more than a little anxious. Even so, industry experts are recommending that their clients stick to their long-term strategy and ride out the turmoil, rather than changing direction. - Solution File: UnCommons Addresses Walkable Urbanism, Mixed Use in Las Vegas
Published on September 06, 2022 in Development
UnCommons was initially designed before the pandemic and then modified in response to it. - Michael Spies’s $350,000 Gift Supports New ULI Effort to Involve Artists in the Real Estate Development Process
Published on August 15, 2022 in Inside ULI
With help from a $350,000 gift from former global governing trustee Michael Spies, ULI is launching an innovative program in which artists will be invited to work with developers in the early stages of real estate projects. The Art in Place program will help developers form creative partnerships with artists in fields ranging from painting and sculpture to dance, theater, music, and even culinary arts. - Wunder’s $650 Million Deal Could Boost Use of Solar in Commercial and Industrial Buildings
Published on June 14, 2022 in Sustainability
Solar energy solutions provider Wunder has closed a deal with Blackstone Credit portfolio company ClearGen to fund solar energy systems on commercial properties. - Use of “Digital Twin” Modeling Could Transform Real Estate Industry
Published on May 04, 2022 in Economy, Market & Trends
Real-time virtual models of objects, ranging from a building to an entire city, are an emerging concept that has the potential to transform the built environment and the real estate industry in numerous ways, according to the technology’s proponents. - What SEC’s Proposed Climate Disclosure Rule Could Mean for Real Estate Companies
Published on April 15, 2022 in Sustainability
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed new rule on climate disclosure could have a major impact upon the real estate sector, according to experts. - ULI Roundtable: Philanthropists Klingbeil, Toomey, and Abbey on Multimillion-Dollar Commitments to Create the ULI Chair’s Fund
Published on January 04, 2022 in Inside ULI
Three longtime ULI members and leaders have joined to make $17 million in inaugural contributions to the ULI Chair’s Fund. Former ULI Foundation chair James D. Klingbeil is donating $7 million through the Klingbeil Family Foundation, and past ULI global chair Thomas W. Toomey and former ULI Foundation chairman Douglas D. Abbey are contributing $5 million each. The three participated in a recent Zoom roundtable during which they discussed how ULI has influenced their lives and careers. - Why Social Equity and Racial Justice Must Be Built Into Development Process
Published on October 14, 2021 in Sustainability
Real estate leaders have an important opportunity to translate their personal values and commitment to racial and social equity into their professional practice, according to panelists on the “Beyond the Building: Real Estate Strategies for the Social Equity Imperative” concurrent session at ULI’s Fall Meeting in Chicago. - Innovation in Commercial Real Estate Must Focus on Customer Experience Instead of Tech, Panelists Say
Published on October 13, 2021 in Fall Meeting
In a world where consumers have grown accustomed to streaming whatever movies they want on demand and having purchases delivered to their doorsteps the next day, commercial real estate needs to focus its efforts in innovation on providing better consumer experiences, panelists said at the “Innovative Trends in Commercial Real Estate” session at the 2021 ULI Fall Meeting in Chicago. - Training and Mentoring Are Needed to Improve Diversity in the Commercial Real Estate Sector
Published on October 13, 2021 in Economy, Market & Trends
Education programs are an important part of enabling Blacks and other minorities to rise professionally in commercial real estate and improve underserved urban communities, panelists said Wednesday during the concurrent session titled “Developing Real Estate Talent within Diverse Populations” at the ULI Fall Meeting. - How New Infrastructure Could Make New Orleans More Child-Friendly
Published on October 12, 2021 in Economy, Market & Trends
Making cities such as New Orleans more child-friendly requires rethinking mobility infrastructure, providing more access to public transit, and bringing together a variety of stakeholders—including young people—into the planning process, according to panelists on the “Child-Friendly New Orleans: Designing the Future” concurrent session at the 2021 ULI Fall Meeting in Chicago. - The Future of Cities after the Pandemic
Published on October 01, 2021 in Development
COVID-19 may have left an indelible mark on the urban landscape, but cities have survived, and experts say the lessons from the pandemic eventually may help make them better places to live and work. - New Green Infrastructure Mitigates Stormwater Runoff
Published on September 18, 2021 in Sustainability
As climate change causes more intense rainfall, it threatens to overwhelm many city sewer systems. In response, cities are turning to infrastructure that absorbs stormwater runoff at its source. - Innovative Developers Adding Value as Industrial Booms
Published on August 26, 2021 in Development
With features such as mezzanine offices above warehouse spaces and shared-amenity areas in which people can exercise and socialize, developers are transforming the once-staid genre of industrial buildings by incorporating features comparable to those typically found in office and mixed-use projects, according to a recent ULI panel discussion. Panelists also described design changes made to facilitate the increasingly rapid movement of e-commerce goods and rooftop solar installations that can supply most of a building’s energy needs. - The Airport-Centric Future Takes Flight
Published on July 30, 2021 in Planning & Design
ULI MEMBER–ONLY CONTENT: Major airports have long been hubs for commercial real estate development. Increasingly, airport complexes are driving economic growth and business innovation as well. - Rising from the Wreckage in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Published on June 14, 2021 in Development
ULI MEMBER–ONLY CONTENT: After a pair of hurricanes pummeled the Virgin Islands’ aging public housing in 2017, a public/private partnership used advice from ULI panels to develop a resilient, sustainable replacement. - Into the Unknown: How Leadership, Ingenuity, and Perseverance Put a Rover on Mars
Published on May 12, 2021 in Planning & Design
NASA’s landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars in February and its deployment of a tiny robotic helicopter—both achieved in the midst of a pandemic—provide a lesson in how teamwork, flexibility, and creativity can overcome daunting challenges, the mission’s chief engineer told a remote audience at ULI’s Virtual Spring Meeting. - Healthier by Design
Published on April 12, 2021 in Planning & Design
ULI MEMBER–ONLY CONTENT: Developers, architects, engineers, and scientists are blending design and technological innovations to transform buildings into enduring lines of defense against disease. - The Coming of the Climigrants
Published on November 09, 2020 in Sustainability
ULI MEMBER–ONLY CONTENT: As climate change puts coastal areas at risk from rising seas and subjects Sun Belt and Southeast cities to hotter temperatures, some of their residents may go elsewhere. Experts say it is time to start preparing. - The Well: Adding Walkable Mixed-Use Density to Downtown Toronto
Published on May 29, 2020 in Development
An ambitious seven-building development near Toronto’s urban core is an innovative effort to deliver density and a diverse range of uses, along with a walkable urban environment, plenty of green space, and innovative energy storage technology. - Sidewalk Labs Planning Its Next Steps for Urban Innovation
Published on May 15, 2020 in Economy, Market & Trends
Sidewalk Labs recently announced that it would withdraw from a proposed smart city project in Toronto. But Sidewalk is already in talks to repurpose those innovations, said participants in ULI’s Spring Meeting Webinar Series. - Tech Takeaways
Published on December 09, 2019 in Economy, Market & Trends
Technology and innovation were hot topics at the 2019 ULI Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C. These are some of the insights that speakers and attendees shared. - Integrating Data Streams Will Produce New Insights for CRE
Published on December 09, 2019 in Economy, Market & Trends
Whereas the commercial sector increasingly is abandoning its old analog ways and shifting to property technology, or proptech, the buzzword for building-related applications, the real revolution will come when commercial real estate companies not only have amassed large amounts of data, but also have figured out how to combine information from different apps and turn that data into actionable intelligence, said panelists speaking at the 2019 ULI Fall Meeting. - The Smarter City
Published on November 08, 2019 in Planning & Design
In Toronto, Sidewalk Labs has sketched out an ambitious vision for a high-tech urban environment designed with human needs rather than technology in mind. Whether it will come to fruition remains unclear. - Could Some Cities Benefit from Migration Driven by Climate Change?
Published on September 20, 2019 in Economy, Market & Trends
In the years to come, as increasingly high temperatures, rising sea levels, and an increase in the intensity of hurricanes and other storms make it more difficult to live in coastal areas, the United States may see a wave of internal migration, as people and businesses relocate to where climate change’s effects are not as severe. That could turn cities such as Cincinnati into “climate havens,” boosting their populations and opportunities for development, according to a pair of speakers in a presentation on migration trends and their effects at ULI’s 2019 Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C. - Investors and Bond-Rating Analysts Are Working to Quantify Risks from Climate Change
Published on September 20, 2019 in Sustainability
Real estate investors and analysts who rate local government bonds already are grappling with how to evaluate the future risks from rapid climate change, panelists said at ULI’s 2019 Resilience Summit, part of the Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C. - Economist Warns of Dire Consequences for Real Estate from Climate Change at ULI Resilience Summit
Published on September 19, 2019 in Sustainability
Climate change will have a drastic, disruptive effect on the commercial real estate sector over the next several decades as rising temperatures make some areas less habitable and increasingly intense storms and rising sea levels erode the value of coastal real estate, according to a a Harvard-trained economist and fellow at Woods Hole Research Center speaking at ULI’s Resilience Summit, part of the 2019 Fall Meeting in Washington D.C. - Making a Place for Amazon
Published on August 26, 2019 in Development
Developer JBG Smith is reinventing Northern Virginia’s Crystal City, a midcentury car-centric neighborhood, as the core of National Landing. It is a placemaking effort that will make Amazon’s new headquarters seem right at home. - Going beyond Hospitality
Published on August 05, 2019 in Development
A new generation of innovators in commercial real estate is taking inspiration from—and even going beyond—the hospitality industry’s focus on customer service and satisfaction to invent new ways to make residential and office tenants happier. - What Do CRE Tenants Want? Workplaces as Customizable Tools
Published on April 22, 2019 in Development
The commercial real estate sector must adjust to a trend in which corporate tenants increasingly see buildings as tools to recruit and retain talent and boost workforce productivity, panelists said at the ULI Spring Meeting in Nashville. Real estate developers need to focus on designing innovative, customized spaces and offering amenities that help their tenants meet their strategic goals concerning human capital. - Proptech Venture Capitalist Lists Startups with Potential to Expand Opportunities, Unlock Value
Published on April 18, 2019 in Development
New applications for artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, and the “internet of things” promise to transform the commercial real estate industry and create new ways to generate revenue and reduce expenses, said the head of a real estate–oriented investment fund speaking at the 2019 ULI Spring Meeting. - U.S. Economic Growth to Continue; Europe Faces Problems, Says Bloomberg Economics Editor
Published on April 18, 2019 in Capital Markets
The U.S. economy continues to perform strongly nearly a decade into the current recovery and China appears to be bouncing back from a slowdown, but weakness in Europe is a cause for concern, a prominent business journalist told an audience at the ULI Spring Meeting in Nashville. The U.S. GDP growth trend is still solid, said Kathleen Hays, global economics and policy editor for Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio, who has covered the U.S. economy and the Federal Reserve for more than 30 years. “The bottom line is the economy is still growing and it’s still creating jobs,” Hays said. - Proptech Advancements May Be a Game-Changer for Industry
Published on April 17, 2019 in Economy, Market & Trends
A new generation of software platforms could do everything from monitoring buildings’ energy and water use in real time to providing tenant workforces with on-site access to medical treatment services, said panelists at ULI’s Spring Meeting. - The Making of a “Makerhood” in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston
Published on April 08, 2019 in Development
Once a declining industrial expanse, Wedgewood-Houston has morphed into an enclave for creative businesses and emerged as one of Nashville’s hottest neighborhoods. - The Developing Power of Big Data
Published on October 29, 2018 in Development
The real estate industry traditionally has valued gut instinct and experience. But the ability to collect, analyze, and visualize vast amounts of information could be the new competitive advantage. - Developers Need to Pay Better Attention to Age-Based Demographic Trends
Published on October 16, 2018 in Development
From the increasing urbanization of emerging nations in Africa to the graying of the U.S. population, demographic shifts will have a major impact upon demand for various types of development over the next few decades, according to a demographic analyst who spoke at the ULI Fall Meeting in Boston. - Manage Your Physical Presence to Enhance Confidence and Authority, Says Author Amy Cuddy
Published on October 11, 2018 in Inside ULI
In the closing address at the 2018 ULI Fall Meeting in Boston, social psychologist and best-selling author Amy Cuddy urged audience members to alter their physical posture, speak more slowly, and use expansive breathing to feel more powerful and open to communicating with others. - Radical Tech Transformation Coming to Commercial Real Estate
Published on October 11, 2018 in Economy, Market & Trends
The commercial real estate sector is poised to undergo a radical technological transformation in which it will be as quick and easy to buy or sell a home as it is to order a new iPhone, in which blockchain and digital tokens will allow commercial real estate assets to be split into tiny shares that can be easily traded, and in which construction companies will deploy autonomous bulldozers to grade sites and make up for a shortage of skilled labor. Those were just some of the transformative innovations described by venture capitalist Brad Greiwe in a session on technological change at the 2018 ULI Fall Meeting in Boston. - Author Scott Galloway Urges Breakup of Consumer Tech Giants
Published on October 11, 2018 in Economy, Market & Trends
Best-selling author, entrepreneur, and New York University marketing professor Scott Galloway issued an impassioned call for the government breakup of Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Apple, telling attendees at the 2018 ULI Fall Meeting that the four giants of the digital-age economy have grown too large and powerful. - Strategic Use Is Difference between Data as Distraction or Contributor to Bottom Line
Published on October 10, 2018 in Economy, Market & Trends
Technological innovations ranging from sophisticated sensors to algorithms that sift through mountains of operational data to extract new insights are taking hold across the commercial real estate sector. But it is crucial to avoid becoming distracted by the allure of innovation for its own sake, and concentrate on how to assimilate advances in a way that generates value for companies and their clients, according to panelists at the 2018 ULI Fall Meeting in Boston. - Developing Blockchain Technology Has Potential to Aid Real Estate Transactions
Published on October 10, 2018 in Economy, Market & Trends
Speaking at the ULI Fall Meeting, panelists said that even as experimentation with blockchain continues “fiercely,” the business world is now taking a tougher look at blockchain applications and asking why so few proofs of concept have made it to the commercial phase. That scrutiny ultimately could lead to better, more useful applications. - Promoting Diversity and Inclusion Benefits Communities—and the Bottom Line
Published on October 09, 2018 in Economy, Market & Trends
Real estate companies are in a uniquely powerful position to promote diversity and inclusiveness, both within their own workforces and in the communities they develop, according to panelists at ULI’s 2018 Fall Meeting in Boston. - Designing for the Driverless Age
Published on July 23, 2018 in Planning & Design
Autonomous vehicles will remake cities in ways we are only beginning to imagine. Architects and planners have to envision structures now that will fit into that future. - Innovating to Meet the Need for Attainable Housing
Published on June 25, 2018 in Planning & Design
Just as millennials are belatedly entering the housing market in greater numbers, developers face a daunting array of challenges that they did not have when they erected starter homes for previous generations, compelling innovation. - What 5G Wireless Technology Will Mean for Real Estate
Published on May 07, 2018 in Infrastructure
The next-generation wireless telecommunications technology known as 5G, which will operate at vastly higher speeds and be able to handle many times more devices than existing 4G networks, is likely to have significant impacts on the real estate industry, a speaker said at the 2018 ULI Spring Meeting in Detroit. - Despite Ongoing Safety Concerns, Autonomous Vehicles Expected in Operation by 2021
Published on May 07, 2018 in Infrastructure
Though driverless vehicles are expected to be commercially available in the next few years, the shift to their use is likely to occur gradually and in phases over several decades, panelists said at ULI’s Spring Meeting in Detroit. That long process will allow vehicles to be tested and improved. It also will enable the development of urban infrastructure—such as smart roads and traffic management systems that communicate continuously with many vehicles at once—that would make them work better, said panelists. - Workplaces May Not Shrink Further, but They May Gain Flexibility
Published on May 03, 2018 in Development
Companies may be starting to see that squeezing more employees into less space is starting to be counterproductive, but panelists at ULI’s 2018 Spring Meeting agreed that expansive offices were largely a thing of the past, especially with wireless communications and cloud-based applications increasingly allowing employees to get much of their work done off site. - Developers Ilitch and Gilbert Describe Their Roles in Detroit’s Revival
Published on May 02, 2018 in Development
Two developers who have been major forces behind the city’s resurgence said that the struggle to overcome hard times has positioned Detroit for robust growth. - Driving Hard to Secure Last-Mile Logistics
Published on February 05, 2018 in Development
With e-commerce players remaking the retail sector, industrial real estate developers are hustling to provide the infrastructure needed to get packages to doorsteps in hours instead of days. - How Small Commercial Projects Can Become Innovation Hubs
Published on October 26, 2017 in Development
Two small-scale developers detailed at ULI’s 2017 Fall Meeting in Los Angeles how the story arc of an imaginative building can be full of drama, setbacks, and plot twists. - Fulfillment Centers Spur Competition for Industrial Real Estate
Published on October 26, 2017 in Industrial
With consumers increasingly expecting to tap their smartphones and find a product on their doorstep within hours, e-commerce is creating an ever more intense demand for industrial real estate near population centers that can used for last-mile logistics, according to panelists at ULI’s 2017 Fall Meeting in Los Angeles. - George Will: “The Principal Problem in Our Country Is Consensus”
Published on October 26, 2017 in Inside ULI
In a talk at ULI’s Fall Meeting in Los Angeles, syndicated columnist, bestselling author, and television commentator George F. Will sounded a dire warning that the United States is on a path to fiscal ruin. - Why You Should Start Crafting a Business Strategy for Radical Technologies
Published on October 25, 2017 in Fall Meeting
The advent of driverless autonomous vehicles (AVs) and drone aircraft, coupled with the rapid shift to a collaborative economy in which entrepreneurs find ways to monetize unused capacity, will dramatically transform urban areas and disrupt the real estate sector, according to a pair of speakers at ULI’s 2017 Fall Meeting in Los Angeles. - Richard Florida Notes Unexpected Effects of the Creative Class’s Rise
Published on October 24, 2017 in Economy, Market & Trends
Urban theorist Richard Florida warned of “a growing divide between places that are winning and places that are failing to keep up.” That societal split is the subject of his latest book, The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class—and What We Can Do About It. - Real Estate Industry Encouraged to Help Tackle Homelessness
Published on October 24, 2017 in Inside ULI
Many U.S. cities continue to grapple with what to do about homelessness arising from a shortage of affordable housing coupled with local not-in-my-backyard resistance to creating it, according to speakers at a panel on the issue at ULI’s 2017 Fall Meeting in Los Angeles. - Wilshire Grand: L.A.’s Transformative Tower
Published on October 16, 2017 in Development
The Wilshire Grand Center, which officially opened in June, soars 73 stories, making it, at 1,099 feet (335 m), the tallest building west of Chicago. The tower’s curvilinear silhouette and crown have dramatically altered the city skyline. - Untying the Traffic Knot
Published on October 16, 2017 in Planning & Design
State-of-the-art land use decisions—and new technologies—could help keep people and commerce moving. - The City with (Almost) No Limits
Published on August 30, 2017 in Planning & Design
As the only major U.S. city without formal zoning, Houston has a reputation as a freewheeling place where anything goes. But in truth, a complex patchwork of public and private regulation has evolved to impose order. - Smart Cities Promise a New Way of Living
Published on June 12, 2017 in Development
Entirely new cities are emerging, grounded in cutting-edge technology. Sensor-laden, data-driven, and internet-connected, these urban prototypes are the testing grounds for the future. - The Security Challenge: Building around 21st-Century Threats
Published on February 13, 2017 in Planning & Design
The Peterson Companies’ new National Harbor complex development attracts 10 million people each year, but it is likely that few will notice all the measures Peterson has put in place for their protection, which are both well concealed and elaborate. - The Tenant Energy Revolution Starts Here
Published on December 12, 2016 in Sustainability
The ULI Tenant Energy Optimization Program may revolutionize the design of office space by turning energy efficiency into a way to generate economic returns. Here is what it could take to make it the new real estate industry standard. - Bringing a Mixed-Use Strategy to Fading Industrial, Retail, and Hotel Properties
Published on November 22, 2016 in Development
At a panel on mixed-use strategy at ULI’s 2016 Fall Meeting in Dallas, participants described what might seem like three dissimilar projects. But, as the panelists discussed, each project offered a city a way to turn blighted areas into engines of revitalization and economic stimulus, and create profits for their owners and tenants as well. - Integrating 3-D Printing for Better Design and Cheaper Construction
Published on November 16, 2016 in Planning & Design
By using 3-D printers to build lightweight but strong plastic frameworks for conventional building materials such as concrete, builders may soon be able to create complex structures with unorthodox shapes and contours that would be difficult or even impossible with today’s construction methods, said a speaker at the ULI Fall Meeting in Dallas. And better yet, they will be able to fashion intricate, customized interiors and exteriors at no additional cost. - Placemaking for Mid-Sized Cities: Rebuilding Waterfront Parks and “Bourbonism”
Published on October 31, 2016 in Planning & Design
For midsized U.S. cities to compete successfully in the 21st-century global marketplace, it is crucial for governments to think beyond the tired strategy of luring away employers from other locales. Instead, city officials need to focus on land use and placemaking as ways to attract talent, generate new business opportunities, and consolidate economic and community development to enhance their brands, according to speakers at ULI’s 2016 Fall Meeting in Dallas. - ULI Tenant Energy Optimization Program Launched
Published on October 27, 2016 in Sustainability
A new ULI program that helps office tenants design and manage their spaces to reduce energy consumption could help the real estate industry reduce emissions that are driving climate change. But at the program’s rollout at ULI’s 2016 Fall Meeting in Dallas, panelists said that the new ULI Tenant Energy Optimization Program is likely to have a more far-reaching impact than that of many previous environmental initiatives because it offers a compelling, well-documented business case that energy efficiency can generate a lucrative return on investment. - Disruptive Technologies and Their Impact on Property Values
Published on October 27, 2016 in Economy, Market & Trends
In the near future, the real estate sector is likely to be disrupted by a host of technological advances ranging from artificial intelligence, driverless vehicles and the “internet of things,” to virtual reality (VR) applications that enable people thousands of miles apart to interact as if they were in the same room, according to a panel of experts at the 2016 ULI Fall Meeting in Dallas. - Evolution of an Aerotropolis
Published on October 27, 2016 in Development
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the most successful American template for how a major airport can become a core for real estate development and economic growth. Now, planning is taking it to a higher altitude. - Tenant Power: Learning from the Empire State Building’s Retrofit
Published on October 27, 2016 in Sustainability
In the late 2000s, Anthony E. Malkin, chairman and chief executive of Empire State Realty Trust, joined forces with a coalition of businesses and environmental organizations to launch an ambitious $20 million retrofit of the Empire State Building with the aim of reducing the iconic New York City office tower’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by more than one-third. - Real Estate Faces Cyber Threats on Several Fronts
Published on October 26, 2016 in Planning & Design
The real estate sector should prepare for a rapidly escalating onslaught of online attacks by hackers employed by organized crime. - Buy the Seaside
Published on July 14, 2016 in Development
Developers around the world are enhancing their resorts with artificial water features, ranging from rivers to ski slopes. But coming up with unique attractions is an increasing challenge. - The Power of Crowdfunding in Real Estate
Published on April 29, 2016 in Capital Markets
Since Congress legalized crowdfunding for real estate projects in 2012, the internet-based financing source has grown dramatically, from $396.4 million in 2013 to $2.5 billion in 2015, according to the Los Angeles–based research and advisory firm Massolutions. - In an Industry Known for Long Timeframes, Working with the “Instant Gratification” Economy
Published on April 29, 2016 in Economy, Market & Trends
When Americans are increasingly growing accustomed to ordering paper towels on Amazon Prime instead of going to Costco and summoning Uber rides on their phones rather than hailing cabs, on-demand services and instant gratification are quickly becoming the new normal. - Distinguishing Signal from Noise as Use of Big Data Grows
Published on April 26, 2016 in Development
While the use of big data is increasing in many industries, Nate Silver, founder and editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight, told attendees at the recent ULI Spring Meeting, “When you have more data, you have more opportunities to be wrong.” - West Philadelphia’s Success Story Shows Economic Power of Innovation
Published on April 25, 2016 in Development
Over the past half-century, west Philadelphia’s University City district—located across the Schuylkill River from Center City—has morphed from a blighted urban neighborhood into a thriving mixed-use hub for higher education, health care, and tech startups. In the process, it has become a template for other old industrial cities striving to remake themselves, said panelists speaking at the ULI Spring Meeting. - Vanguard’s McNabb Sees “Continued Muted Growth” in U.S. Economy
Published on April 22, 2016 in Capital Markets
The U.S. economy remains in good shape with steady, if unspectacular, growth, the head of one of the world’s largest investment management companies said at the opening of the general session at ULI’s Spring Meeting in Philadelphia. - Multimodal Transit Dials Down the Need for Cars in Cities
Published on March 28, 2016 in Infrastructure
Local and regional transportation planners often consider two distinct options—people driving to and from work, or people using mass transit. But the rise of shared transportation modes is rapidly changing that by creating new options for commuters, according to panelists at a recent conference sponsored by the Eno Center for Transportation, a Washington-based nonprofit charitable foundation seeking improvement in transportation and its public and private leadership. - Comcast Innovation and Technology Center: Philadelphia’s Tower of Tech Power
Published on March 28, 2016 in Planning & Design
The new Comcast Innovation and Technology Center will be more than just a signature skyscraper. Its vertical version of Silicon Valley could reshape how people think about tech campuses. - Keeping Up: When Technological Change Begets More, Faster Change
Published on January 04, 2016 in Development
Advances such as 3-D printing, robotics, and big data promise to transform the way people work and live—and how buildings are built. Here is a look at the next wave of the urban environment, and how to be prepared for it. - Catching the Next Wave of Disruptive Real Estate Technology
Published on November 02, 2015 in Economy, Market & Trends
In the coming years, it will be possible to access mountains of aggregated market data and do real-time valuations for industrial, retail, and office properties; and buildings will be traded online the way that stocks are traded now. That is the world envisioned by a panel of real estate information technology providers at ULI’s 2015 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, and they expect to see it happening in the next few years. - What Tech Tenants Want: Roof Decks?
Published on November 02, 2015 in Economy, Market & Trends
Developers who are trying to fill the ever-expanding demands of technology companies have learned a few things about their clients: They want a place to park their bikes; they like bringing their dogs to work; and, above all, they love rooftop decks. - Are the “Smartest” Buildings Often the Simplest?
Published on October 26, 2015 in Planning & Design
At the final session of ULI’s 2015 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, veteran futurist Paul Saffo advised architects and developers to prepare for technological change by remaining as flexible as they can. Saffo, a consulting associate professor at Stanford University and chairman of the futures track at Silicon Valley’s Singularity University, cautioned against betting too heavily on assumptions about what technology will predominate in the near future, and when it will take hold. - Wells Fargo, Prologis CEOs Not Worried about Chinese Slowdown
Published on October 26, 2015 in Capital Markets
In a question-and-answer session at ULI’s 2015 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, John G. Stumpf, chairman, president, and CEO of Wells Fargo & Company, and Prologis chairman and CEO Hamid R. Moghadam both indicated that China’s recent economic deceleration is not as big of a worry as it might seem to jittery Wall Street investors. - Why Real Estate Must Adapt to Fast-Changing Technology
Published on October 19, 2015 in Economy, Market & Trends
The technology sector, which tends to advance rapidly in game-changing shifts, has long provided a glaring contrast to the real estate industry, which is based on long-lived assets and evolves slowly. But that dichotomy will soon fade, according to a panel of real estate and tech leaders at ULI’s Fall Meeting in San Francisco. - Future Holds Both Rapid Change and Steady Progress
Published on October 12, 2015 in Economy, Market & Trends
The benefits of globalism have been dramatic and widespread, and gains in artificial intelligence and other technologies will arrive at an exponential pace, say two noted futurists speaking at the ULI Fall Meeting. - Airbnb Allows Cities to Both Shrink and Swell, Says CEO Chesky
Published on October 07, 2015 in Economy, Market & Trends
Speaking at the ULI Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Airbnb cofounder Brian Chesky said he doesn't see the company as a direct competitor to hotels, since its lodging shares often are located in residential neighborhoods rather than the downtown locations that hotels favor. - Imagining the Driverless City
Published on October 02, 2015 in Infrastructure
Robotic vehicles, drones, and other cutting-edge technological advances could soon reshape urban land use as radically as the automobile once did. Here are some leaders' thoughts on how the future might look. - From Clicks to Bricks: L.L.Bean’s Embrace of Omnichannel Retail
Published on July 20, 2015 in Economy, Market & Trends
Not long ago, it seemed as if e-commerce would make brick-and-mortar retail as obsolete as rotary telephones. Instead, catalog and web retailer L.L.Bean is leading a wave of businesses that are building physical storefronts to drive their online trade. - Taking Calculated Risks on Game-Changing Ideas
Published on May 19, 2015 in Development
At the closing session of the 2015 ULI Spring Meeting in Houston, two local icons—landmark real estate developer Gerald D. Hines and James A. Baker III, who served in three presidential administrations and was secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush—talked about leadership and perhaps its most crucial ingredient: the willingness to take bold risks and run with game-changing ideas. - Financing among Several Challenges for Ideal Mixed-Use Projects
Published on May 19, 2015 in Planning & Design
Mixed-use projects have the potential to transform urban areas and create long-term value. But as members of a panel at the 2015 ULI Spring Meeting in Houston explained, it is a lot trickier than it might seem to create a successful synergy of uses. - Mayors Talk about Role of Technology, Uber in Smarter Cities
Published on May 15, 2015 in Economy, Market & Trends
In a discussion between four mayors and former mayors including Seattle, Pittsburgh, Omaha, and South Bay, Florida, participants identified multiple trends that pose difficult challenges for city governments—but which also potentially provide opportunities. - Pairing Business Discipline with Philanthropy in Houston
Published on May 14, 2015 in Sustainability
Public/private partnerships have helped drive Houston’s transformation in recent years. But in order for that formula to succeed, energy industry entrepreneur and civic philanthropist Richard "Rich" Kinder warns that it is essential for private donors to show the same sort of toughness and financial savvy that helped them make their business fortunes. - The City with (Almost) No Limits
Published on April 20, 2015 in Planning & Design
As the only major U.S. city without formal zoning, Houston has a reputation as a freewheeling place where anything goes. But in truth, a complex patchwork of public and private regulation has evolved to impose order. - Moving to Where the Price Is Right
Published on February 09, 2015 in Economy, Market & Trends
Millennials have flocked to city life, changing neighborhoods as they go. What happens when their needs—and tastes—mature? - How Virtual Reality and Other Technologies Will Disrupt Real Estate
Published on November 04, 2014 in Economy, Market & Trends
While commercial real estate has occasionally lagged behind other business sectors in use of emerging technologies such as three-dimensional virtual reality environments and real-time data mining, panelists at the ULI Fall Meeting said such advances promise to reshape how developers and property managers function. - Open Data’s Impact as Yet Untapped by Real Estate Industry
Published on November 03, 2014 in Economy, Market & Trends
Aggregation and analysis of open data—that is, information that is freely available via the internet—are revolutionizing fields such as science and government, said panelists at the ULI Fall Meeting, but it is still anathema to many in the real estate industry. - Challenges and Opportunities for Crowdfunding
Published on October 28, 2014 in Capital Markets
The nascent, fast-growing phenomenon of crowdfunding in real estate financing hasn’t yet scratched the surface of its potential, according to participants in a panel at ULI’s 2014 Fall Meeting in New York City. - Isaacson Says Digital Revolution Brings Urban Renaissance
Published on October 24, 2014 in Economy, Market & Trends
In an address that concluded this year’s ULI Fall Meeting in New York City, author and journalist Walter Isaacson extolled the importance of the urban built space in fostering creativity and technological progress. - The New Volatility of Water Supply
Published on October 24, 2014 in Sustainability
Escalating climate change poses a paradoxical dilemma when it comes to water, according to speakers in a panel on the subject at the 2014 ULI Fall Meeting in New York City. - U.S. Prospects Are Bright, Says Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase
Published on October 22, 2014 in Capital Markets
In an appearance at the 2014 ULI Fall Meeting in New York City, the head of the nation’s biggest bank talked about resilience—both the U.S. economy’s and his own, in the face of a bout with cancer. - Shaping the Future through the Built Environment
Published on October 22, 2014 in Economy, Market & Trends
Panelists at the opening session of the 2014 ULI Fall Meeting predicted that the next wave of change has the potential to reverse troubling current trends, from climate change and economic inequality to the personal isolation caused by overuse of electronic gadgetry. - Brooklyn Rebound
Published on October 13, 2014 in Development
Once gritty industrial zones in the shadow of Manhattan, the Brooklyn neighborhoods of DUMBO and Williamsburg have morphed into the center of knowledge-economy hipness. - Hudson Yards Rises above the Rails
Published on October 06, 2014 in Planning & Design
At Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, a cluster of skyscrapers perched on a billion-dollar steel platform above a working rail yard will be tied together in its own energy-saving microgrid, with sensors collecting mountains of data to optimize daily life. - Rebuilding by Design: The Art of Resilience
Published on August 25, 2014 in Sustainability
After Superstorm Sandy ravaged the New York Metropolitan Area, an innovative federal program challenged design teams to weave resilience into the urban landscape. - How Coworking is Transforming the Office
Published on June 02, 2014 in Planning & Design
Coworking, in which entrepreneurs, startups, and even corporate small teams interact in an open office, is growing exponentially. In the process, it may transform land use. - How Vancouver Invented Itself
Published on February 14, 2014 in Planning & Design
"Vancouverism" is synonymous with tower-podium architecture, green space, and breathtaking views. But the city's development process is sometimes overlooked. - Chicago’s Novel Infrastructure Trust
Published on October 21, 2013 in Infrastructure
"The City That Works" is embarking on a big goal: Raising $1.7 billion in private capital to pay for desperately needed infrastructure improvements-and generating a financial return for investors. - Crowdfunding a New Urban Identity
Published on August 14, 2013 in Economy, Market & Trends
In April, 130,000 people flocked to the first One Spark festival in downtown Jacksonville, Florida, to hear indie rock bands, watch fire dancers, admire multimedia art installations, and, most important, listen to entrepreneurs’ pitches for more than 400 projects in search of seed money. - Five Lessons From One Spark: How to Stage a Crowdfunding Festival
Published on August 14, 2013 in Economy, Market & Trends
Elton Rivas, One Spark cofounder, and Peter S. Rummell, one of the festival’s major backers and immediate past chairman of ULI, offer some insights into how they created the event and how they might improve the model. - Imagining Land Use in 2063
Published on April 22, 2013 in Planning & Design
How different will land use be in 50 years? While some futurists think suburban tract house and the shopping mall will have gone the way of the dinosaurs, others envision a strikingly different scenario, in which people increasingly will forsake the cities for the rural countryside living in updated, technologically advanced, and economically self-sufficient versions of the 19th-century village.